Neil Doknjas is a National Master and won the 2023 BC Championship, five BC Youth Championships, and four BC Grade Championships, as well as nationally, Neil won the 2012 U8 Canadian Youth Championship and tied for 1st Place in the 2022 Grand Pacific Open and the 2021 U16 Canadian Youth Championship. He also won the 2019 and 2016 BC Junior Championship (Best Under 20 years old) and the 2016 Oregon Open U2000 Championship. Neil teaches both private and group chess lessons, and has written articles and annotated games for reputable national chess publications.
Highlights as a Coach:
- National Master – Canada (attained in 2022); highest CFC rating 2394.
- Candidate Master – FIDE (attained in 2023); highest FIDE rating 2273.
- National Master – USCF (attained in 2023); highest USCF rating 2206.
- Neil has taught in various chess workshops, chess team practices, private and group lessons, training games and analysis.
- Neil has conducted chess simultaneous demonstrations.
Highlights as a Player:
Provincial Events:
- Keres Memorial
- 2024 Co-Champion (draws GM Gergely Szabo)
- 2023 Co-Champion (wins qualifying spot to BC Closed)
- Grand Pacific Open
- 2022 Co-Champion (wins qualifying spot to BC Closed)
- BC Closed
- 2023 BC Closed Champion
- 2021 BC Closed – 3rd Place
- 2019 BC Closed – 2nd Place (tied)
- BC Junior Championship (Best Under 20 years old):
- 2019 BC Junior Champion – wins qualification spot to 2020 BC Closed
- 2018 BC Junior Champion – 2nd Place
- 2016 BC Junior Co-Champion
- BC Provincial Youth Chess Championship:
- 2019 U14 Open Champion
- 2017 U12 Open Champion
- 2016 U12 Open Champion
- 2014 U10 Open Champion
- 2013 U8 Open Champion
- 2012 U8 Open Champion
- BC Provincial Championship:
- 2018 Grade 7 Champion
- 2017 Grade 6 Champion
- 2016 Grade 5 Champion
- 2014 Grade 3 Champion
- 2012 Grade 1 – 1st Place (tied)
- 2023 Team BC-WA Match – Top Player Score
- 2023 SFU Open Co-Champion
- 2023 Vancity Rapid Fall Champion
- 2019 Langley Open – Wins Qualification spot to BC Closed
- 2019 New West Summer Open Blitz Champion
- 2018 Semiahmoo Open U2000 Champion (tied)
- 2018 New West Open – 2nd Place
- 2018 Team BC-WA 2 Match – Top Player Score – 2nd Place
- 2018 North Vancouver City Chess Championship:
- Grade 8-12 Overall Section Champion
- Grade 8 North Vancouver City Chess Champion
- Bowser Builder Chess Championship:
- 2018 – Junior Champion
- 2017 – Junior Champion
- 2016 – Junior Champion
- 2014 – Junior Champion
- 2016 Trinity Western Active Chess Championship – 2nd Place (tied)
- 2015 Grand Pacific Open U1900 Champion (tied)
- 2014 Langley Club Champion – youngest ever
- 2013 Vancouver Open U1400 Champion (tied)
National Events:
- Canadian Youth Chess Championship:
- 2023 U18 Open – 2nd Place, Calgary, AB
- 2022 U18 Open – 2nd Place, Hamilton, Ontario
- 2021 U16 Open – 1st Place (tied), Canada
- 2015 U10 Open – 2nd Place (tied), Windsor, Ontario
- 2013 U8 Open – 2nd Place, Ottawa, Ontario
- 2012 U8 Open Champion, Surrey, British Columbia
- Canadian Championship:
- 2018 Canadian Grade 7 Championship – 2nd Place, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador
- 2017 Canadian Grade 6 Championship – 2nd Place, Toronto, Ontario
- 2016 Canadian Grade 5 Championship – 3rd Place, Regina, Saskatchewan
- 2014 Canadian Grade 3 Championship – 2nd Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Bughouse Championship:
- 2023 Bughouse Team Co-Champions at Canadian Open Chess Championship, Calgary, AB (Henry Yang partner)
- 2019 Bughouse Team Champions at Canadian Youth Chess Championship, Regina, Saskatchewan (FM Joshua Doknjas partner)
- 2018 Bughouse Team Champions at Canadian Youth Chess Championship, Quebec City, Quebec (FM Nicholas Vettese partner)
- Canadian Open
- 2022 Canadian Open – Defeats Grandmaster Aman Hambleton
- 2016 Canadian Open U2000 – 2nd Place (tied)
- 2022 Kalev Pugi Fund Award Recipient
International Events:
- 2023 Calgary International Chess Classic – 3rd Place (tied)
- 2023 North American Junior U20 – Top U18 Player
- 2023 Pan American Youth Chess Festival:
- Wins 2nd Place (tied) in U18 Open Section
- Official Canadian U18 Open Representative, Chicago, Illinois
- 2014 North American Youth Chess Championship:
- Official Canadian U10 Open Representative, Tarrytown, New York
- World Youth Chess Championships – Represented Canada:
- 2015 U10 Open – Halkidiki, Greece
- 2012 Official Canadian U8 Open Representative – Marlboro, Slovenia
- 2019 WA Class Championship Master Section – 3rd Place (tied)
- 2016 Oregon Open U2000 Champion
- 2016 Kings vs Princes III – FIDE Round Robin – 2nd Place (tied)
- 2015 Hawaii International Chess Festival – U1600 – 1st Place (tied)
- 2013 WA Class Championship U1400 – 1st Place
- 2013 Washington Open, Booster Section – 1st Place
Articles by Neil Doknjas:
Canadian Chess Newsletter Articles:
- August 2016: Oregon Open (annotated games).
- May 2015: Hawaii International Open, pages 60-67 (annotated game).
- March 2015: Langley Chess Club Championship, pages 62-66.
Chess Blog Article:
- May 20, 2017: Reykjavik Open 2017
Neil Doknjas in the News:
August 17, 2017 “The Parksville Qualicum Beach News” article on the 2017 Bowser Builders Chess Tournament.
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June 2017 North Delta Reporter article on the Full Cupboard Chess Festival Fundraiser.
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CBC Radio Interview with Neil Doknjas, who won 2nd place (tied) in the 2015 U10 Canadian Youth Chess Championship.
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March 2015 Canadian Chess Newsletter Club Champion: Langley BC
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July 2014 CBC TV Interview with Team Doknjas in Montreal at the Canadian Youth Chess Championship seen here.